Our nearby dog park, the Cabin John Dog Park, was in the local news this week. A woman was knocked over by a group of dogs and sustained several injuries. Are the owners responsible? Is the park responsible? There are a lot of unanswered questions.

To Dog Park or Not to Dog Park?

That is the question, isn’t it? As we’ve mentioned before, not all dogs benefit from going to the dog park. In fact, we’ve seen dogs who were not reactive develop reactive behaviors because of an incident at a dog park. That being said, if you regularly attend the dog park at the same day and time and there is a compatible group of dogs that show all the signs of having a great time, then great! You’ve got a good group of playmates (and hopefully good dog parents who are supervising with you).

Sue Sternberg has an excellent iPhone app for dog parents who are supervising dogs at play. It helps you identify behaviors that signal that a dog is “done” with play and should be taken home.

Come Play in the Air Conditioning!

We’re offering several fun classes this summer and our training center has air conditioning, so you’ll be out of the heat. (Can you believe it’s this hot already?)

• It’s All Fun & Games! is on Tuesdays from 10 – 11 am. It starts on June 25 and ends on July 23. (No class on 7/3.)
• Play & Games for Small Dogs (under 20 lbs) is a one-session class on Saturday, June 15 from 11:45 am – 1 pm. We repeat this class fairly often, so check back for additional dates!
• Agility Games will have new sections this summer. We fill this popular class from our waiting list, so please email us at [email protected] if you’d like to be added to the list.
• Kids & Dogs Summer Camp occurs in June and August. Fun and games for kids ages 8-13 and their furry friends.

And of course, ALL of our manners classes, sports classes, behavior classes, and skill clinics are fun because you’re bonding with your dog. Check out all our upcoming classes and sign up for one today, before your summer gets too busy.